The Bad Memories Help Us Remember the Good Ones
by Kitkatta
Summary: Marie is a little lost on a stormy night, and stumbles upon Edd's house. As he lets her in, he tells a little bit more on his life, even showing what is under his hat. One-shot!  Edit - Making a comic/doujinshis/thingy of this, will tell when it's up!


Marie walked around the rainy night grumpily, silently yelling at herself for being so stupid as to get lost in a freezing storm, during the early spring. She was just doing some thinking, having had a small one-sided argument with her mother.

It was one-sided because her mother didn't even respond, only blinking at the blunette as tears gathered at her brown eyes. The girl had gotten frustrated and ran out the door, angrily slamming her fist into a poor tree she had found while wandering around.

The rage had fueled her, made her forget about the cold and rain, but she soon remembered it and began her journey back home. Of course she got a little lost and ended up in the Cul-de-sac, the little area where Edd lived.

It was most likely not going to happen, but she thought he was the best chance she had. Everyone else feared or hated her, but her crush was able to put kindness in front of his fear, always helping out, even to the Kankers. So maybe she would be able to spend some time at his house until the storm cleared up and she would be able to go home.

The blunette walked up the steps of his porch, musing at how perfect the house seemed, The stairs didn't even groan or creek under feet, and the paint on the house made the house look new. If she recalled, Edd was muttering something during the last class of the day about getting the right paint and good paint.

Marie stood on the porch for a bit, shrugging as she searched for lights and saw a faint one in the living room. Taking the risk of getting kicked off his porch and getting hypothermia, the teen rang the doorbell… waiting in silence as she shook and shivered violently.

A minute passed… nothing…

Two minutes… still nothing…

Three minutes… Marie was getting ready to leave.

Marie was getting really cold, turning around to leave before she heard frantic footsteps racing towards the door. It was swung open and she was pulled inside, much to her surprise. A warm blanket was draped over her and she glanced over at the door.

Edd was locking the door and breathing a little heavy, though fixing that flaw quickly. He wore nothing but grey shorts and a navy blue T-shirt, which was a little baggy on him. He turned around and looked at Marie with a little bit of worry.

"Are you alright?" The girl was a little shocked by how much concern he had within his tone. Other than that, she only found a little bit of annoyance. "Please, take off your shoes and then follow me into the living room. Sorry for taking so long, I was almost asleep when your rung the doorbell." He explained sheepishly as the blunette removed her shoes and then followed Edd into the living room.

His house was both clean and comfortable looked, everything being organized in a neat and fashionable way. She caught a glimpse at the kitchen and gawked silently for a few seconds. He had some pretty good stuff, the oven being a brand new type. Edd was thought of as rich anyways, seeing as his house was so nice and everyone saw him leave in a nice car sometimes, those days being his doctor appointments and dentist times.

Otherwise, his house was quite cozy and homey looking, despite that it had a… clean feeling on you.

Only a few pictures were on the walls, though they were pretty happy pictures. One was of a little boy, presumably Edd, He was with two adults, probably his parents. Little Edd was on a swing, laughing happily as the gap in his teeth showed, but with no care in the world. He was navy blue suspenders and a yellow orange shirt. His black hat was still placed firmly on his head, hiding the hair on his scalp. His eyes were an oceanic blue, the same lively oceanic blue they were when he was first introduced to the Kankers, and when he had made eye contact with her for the first night.

The woman in the picture was smiling broadly at the camera, her white teeth perfect and straight. Her skin was fair and her face was small and dainty, yet powerful and strong at the same time. Her hair was long and copper brown, flowing behind both she and her son. Her eyes were a strong green, that flowed with life and passion. She was wearing a white dress, her stomach kind of round. At first, it made Marie think she was fat, but looking at the rest of her, she didn't seem that way. She realized soon enough that she was pregnant.

The man in the picture was taller than his wife by at least a foot, and he was much broader as well. An arm wrapped around his son to her wife's shoulder, as his other arm wrapped in front and left his hand lying protectively over the pregnant woman's stomach. He wore a light blue T-shirt and worn out jeans. His smile was happy and lively, though, a small hole between two of his teeth was visible, hinting at Edd's own gap. His eyes were a deep blue, a darker shade that Edd's own lively blue.

Marie had started to drift off from Edd, getting mesmerized in the pictures on the wall that seemed to tell Edd's life story. She got a glimpse at a picture of four people, a small Eddward, his father, his mother, and a baby within her arms, somewhat glaring at the camera.

The one thing that got her out of it was the contact she felt as she looked down to her wrist.

"C'mon Marie, I'd really rather not have you get lost in this maze of my house." Edd chuckled, pulling the girl along.

They stopped in a nice and neat living room, which also looked very comfortable. He let her sit on the sofa, mumbling something about rarely using it anyways. She sat in the chair before asking a question, the first words out of her mouth since she had come into the house.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked, her burning hazel eyes meeting his startled blue eyes.

He frowned a little while he pondered over what he would say next, before letting a sigh escape. "I don't know, it's just, you reminded me of someone and I just didn't like that memory. I decided to help you out, knowing this could very well be a trap of some sort." Edd's blue eyes having a confident light in them that they usually lacked.

Marie pondered over this for a bit, also thinking about those pictures. So he had a younger sibling? Was that the possibility? Could his parents be divorced and one of them has the younger kid while the other has Edd?

"If your curious about my hospitality…" He continued, catching her attention again, "I'm just doing it because I was raised this way. You seem troubled, and I don't think it would've helped had I left you outside alone. My parents would've answered it, but they're on a business trip." Well, that answered her question on where his parents were. They were never really around, causing everyone to believe they ditched the teen and he was really fending for himself in the world.

She always wanted to ask if that was really the case, or if there was another reason they were never around. Sometimes he seemed a little hesitant one his answer to a question like that, but he replied the same way.

'It's either that, or they are on a regular trip.'

He seemed to be left alone a lot, but there were those times when he would be excitedly chatting about going somewhere with his parents to his friends. Everyone else always overheard, and always listened. They were envious, he went to such nice places with his parents, and they never even got to meet them. Some people were jealous just because he got to leave the town and go to nice places, while they were usually stuck in the same town. Some people never left unless it was for a field trip, which rarely took them out of the place they lived.

He went everywhere, but never bragged. Another lovable thing about him, how he was so considerate of others to the point where he never bragged. He always joked that he would take Ed with him on a trip someday, but not Eddy since his parents would hand him all their money since they would fall for a scam.

Everyone knew that was a joke, but some wondered just how smart his parents could be, if you looked at Edd. He was such and intelligent being, he had to get it from someone.

Marie was even more curious as she looked around Edd's house, getting lost in her thoughts.

She didn't notice that Edd had left, or that he had come back either. "Here Marie, it'll help you warm up." He placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of her, and she sipped it shyly. It tasted divine! She started to drink more of it, unaware of the amused look she was given by the boy with the hat on.

"Hey, I have another question Double D…" The blunette started, surprised by how shy she was with the question. "Who was that baby in the picture, a little brother or sister?" Marie looked up and saw Edd stare in a little amazement before turning away.

She was almost going to apologize, regretting that she made her love feel hurt or sad. The blunette had never ventured as far as to do that, only teasing him mildly… or what she called mildly.

"My little sister, Ella." Edd finally answered. "She was only in my life for a short time though… " He looked down at the floor sadly. He then removed his hat, showing the girl what he had hidden beneath the black sock like beanie.

His hair was black and wispy, no life in it at all. It seemed charred as well, but it was hard to tell. He moved slowly, almost no life in him as he sat down on the sofa, the opposite side of Marie. She sipped her hot chocolate with curiosity and wonder, eyeing both the saddened boy and the hair.

"What happened to them?" She asked softly, her hazel eyes locking with Edd's in a sideward glance.

Edd scratched his head, a little bit of… ash coming out. He looked at his grey hand with a soft and sad smile, tears forming by his eyes. "Before we moved here, I lived in a bigger town, more of a suburb. I was at the local library where they had a fireplace. There were these group of boys who weren't fond of my intellect over them, so they decided to do something to get rid of it." Marie stare only intensified, the girl unconsciously moving closer to the boy, who had no idea. "They came to the library, knowing I'd be there. Somehow, they got the iron fence off of the fireplace and stuck my head in…" Marie gasped, though the boy did not move as he continued with his tale. She was starting to wonder what that story had to do with anything. "They thought by burning my brain I'd become stupid, and they had no idea I would die from it. In the end, the only real damage was to my scalp. My father rushed over, leaving my mother and Ella alone at the house, and took me to the hospital."

"My mother asked my father to stay with me overnight, seeing as he could do that and I was a little unstable at the time. She stayed at home with Ella, and it was fall so the weather was getting colder. It was storming and my mother was just coming back from my grandmother's house…" The blunette's hazel eyes widened as they followed a single tear fall to the ground and splat. "She got locked out from the house and my father was unable to reach her, due to the storm. She was still holding Ella, seeing as she took her over when she had visited my grandmother, since she was a baby and couldn't stay alone. No one would help my mother, as she started to grow desperate and starting pleading for everyone around her to help." His grip on his arms tightened, and Marie listened to him as he told her his sad tale.

"When they found them in the morning, my mom had hypothermia and was rushed to the hospital. She wasn't the same afterwards, especially since Ella died in her arms. It was too cold for her, and my mother wasn't giving enough body heat for her to take in. So she died, leaving my life, and taking my mother with her it seems." Marie gasped, thinking what most would think at a sentence like that. Edd finally looked up and smiled reassuringly, the tears still flowing from his eyes softly.

"No no… my mother just went into depression and lost her spirit. Now she takes the best care she can of me, and we always visit Ella's grave together during the same time of year…" The boy finally finished, silence falling over them.

He had such a strong reason to hide his hair, his ash hair it seemed. Marie wasn't one for sympathy, but Edd could really use a little bit of it. He was a strong kid, being able to move on from such a thing. It would seem impossible to her.

Marie had no idea that Edd would have such a sad story, seeing as he just looked like a happy, frail, and over intelligent kid. Of course, most kids who were happy like that were also hiding a sad past, one that was sad to bring up. It made the blunette think of another question, as she sat even closer to the boy.

"So, what exactly happened to your hair?" That's what came out of her mouth, though that was not what she really wanted to ask.

Edd chuckled softly before picking his hat up and placing it on the end table near them. "Due to that incident, my hair won't grow anymore, and it will be bad for my scalp if I shave it, and then I'll be bald to. My hair, for some odd reason, has ash in it from that time, though I don't know why. The doctors and my dad won't tell me." He smiled at the girl, almost no tears left.

He sighed and looked back down, and Marie moved even closer, expecting him to spaz out for having his personal space invaded.

To both of their surprises, Edd did not try to crawl away, even as Marie laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Hey, at least your mom is still caring about you." The sad boy sat up, looking at Marie with curious eyes

The blunette shook her head and smiled softly. "My dad was a drunk, but not a angry and pissed off one, a weird and silly kind. One night, after doing to much drinking, he was walking home and walked in front of a truck. My mom loved him and became depressed. She still is, only remembering that we exist and acknowledging us by buying us food and supplies for school." She sighed sadly before stretching back, her blanket falling to the floor in a small heap.

"Looks like we both have a sad past, don't we?" She asked softly, and was surprised when Edd moved her head and placed a light kiss on her lips.

Her heart raced as her eyes widened, before she pulled him a little deeper in the kiss. It was amazing, the feeling of him actually kissing her. After he pulled back, he just pulled her into a hug.

"I don't like remembering the bad things, but you have to so you can remember the good things. I'll remember that, so I can remember this." Marie smiled, hugging the boy back.

It made Marie think, and then she smiled before trying to pull Edd even closer. She wouldn't want to think of the bad memory of the fight she had with her mother, because it would bring up how her father had died. Without that memory, however, the girl would also have to ignore this good one. So she would remember, the bad memories so she would also be able to remember the good one of this little chat with her love.

The two dozed off into peaceful slumbers, Marie snuggling Edd, who held her lightly in return. The hat that covered his wispy and ash like hair was lying on the end table, Edd's hair getting the pillow stained slightly.

"It's a lovely scene, wouldn't you agree William?" A feminine figured filled the entrée way of the living room, a bag being the only real thing visible in her hands. Another figure, taller and more masculine, also having broad shoulders appeared behind her. He stepped in and picked the blanket up, putting over both teens who snuggled even closer to get some more warmth. The man stepped back, still hidden as the lights were turned off, a lamp being the only thing left on.

"I would very much say so, Emilia." He agreed, lively blue flashing from the light as both turned.

"I'm a little glad he hasn't forgotten her, aren't you?"

"Of course, and he is right to think like that. He is a happy boy, I'm glad those to met one another."

"You and me both, William. Though, he did tell me once on the phone about a blue haired girl who often followed him around, scaring him to no end."

Two laughs filled the room, disappearing as they did over the stairs and into the hallway, the sound of a door closing softly a little after.

* * *

><p><strong>Hmm... my first try at a One-shot. What do you all think? I dunno, I've wanted to do something involving Edd's family for sometime now. It kinda just came on it's own, me eating cake and then having the idea of him having a baby sister, who died somehow. I didn't want it to be a gruesome death of some sort, but I didn't want it to be a car crash either... <strong>

**Actually, I was going to have it that both Emilia (Edd's mom) and Ella are killed because they cross the street and due to the storm, don't see a car coming their way. But, as you can see, I decided against that. I remember reading somewhere that he and his parents have a good relationship, despite them being gone most of the time, and I decided that I wanted to make something involving them. I know this probably sucks and all, but I don't care. It was fun to write, and I hope to write some more (and better) stories involving Edd. He is my favorite character after all. If I make another story or one-shot, it will have nothing to do with this story unless it says so in a Author's note at the top. **

**He might not even look the same in the stories. Oh yeah, as for his hair... I dunno. In my opinion, he's either a guy with creamy blonde hair or short and wispy black hair. In honesty, I don't know, but I'm fine with it. :P The story (not inclunding any part of this bold lettering Authors Note) itself is around 3,000 words long... well geez... I can never make anything short.**

**Anywho, expect more from me and please review. OREO CAKE IS YUMMEH! :D **


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